Saddle Brook’s Andrew Camilleri lifts Ramsey’s Matt Lowery up in their tussle at 160 pounds, but it would be Lowery smiling later with an 11-9 victory as did the Rams’ team, 34-28 winners.

Take their two upper weights, juniors Joe Chang and Justin Moreno, for instance. Chang falls well short of the 220-pound maximum weight of his position in the lineup, and Moreno is a 215-pounder in a heavyweight class where opponents can weigh up to 285 pounds.

"They're both undersized for their weight classes," Petrock said, "but they give everybody fits. They do what they have to do for us. They keep matches close and get us important points."

Petrock was unable to field a full lineup for the Bergen County tournament in December, but those who wrestled gained enough points for a very respectable finish - tied for 18th - in the massive 40-team event.

A thin lineup, yes, but a few Ramsey stalwarts got the team going by piling up points with first-round victories. Senior Bryan Rottingen pinned at 120 pounds; junior Drew Boscorino scored an 11-1 major decision at 145; sophomore Matt Barile pinned at 170; senior Konnor Shetler pinned at 182; senior Nick Catalano won, 9-2, at 195, and Chang pinned in the 220 bout.

Of Shetler and Catalano, Petrock said, "Those are the guys other teams try to avoid up top in the lineup."

Catalano, who actually won two rounds of bouts in the county tournament before losing by a 5-3 score to the eventual third-place finisher, advanced the furthest of the Rams. He wrestled in the fifth-place consolation bout, losing by only a 2-1 score to Tom Cosgriff of Northern Highlands.

"We had a couple of injuries, some bumps and bruises," the coach explained. "But we wrestled well. We have a good mix of juniors and seniors and some sophomores and freshmen. It's a nice blend of the grades."

The Rams stood at 10-6 following a difficult quadrangular meet on Jan. 25 where they lost all three matches - to Warren Hills, Paramus and Roselle Park. Yet the wrestlers emerged relatively unfazed, Petrock was pleased to report.

"It was a good challenge," he said. "The kids were a little banged up, but it let us see where we are as a team."

Headline wins

There have been plenty of highlights, Petrock emphasized. "We opened the season by beating Old Tappan and Randolph and that really catapulted us. We were 7-1 and beat Glen Rock/Saddle Brook and Westwood, good teams. And we also beat Pascack Hills."

Four of the first five wrestlers in the Ramsey lineup are underclassmen: sophomore Jesse Mitchell (106), junior Nick Gasparovich (113), freshman Joe Kalksma (126) and experienced junior Christian Incardona (132).

"Mitchell, Gasparovich and Rottingen have anchored the lower weights, and Kalksma has been a nice surprise," Petrock said. "And the guys in the middle are seasoned wrestlers - Incardona, Kevin Damato and Boscorino. We have some depth and movement in our lineup."

Damato is a senior 138-pounder who serves as one of the Rams' four captains, along with Catalano, Rottingen and Shetler.

Gasparovich, Mitchell and Rottingen have combined for 34 wins, while Kalksma has seven wins, a fine total for a debuting freshman.

Last year, Catalano and Rottingen finished third in the district tournament, while Boscorino and Shetler took fourths. Graduation took a pair of district champions and a bronze medalist. Those three advanced to Region 2, where one won a silver medal and two others finished fourth.

Top 25 ranking

The Rams currently are ranked 18th in the North Jersey Top 25. While they don't have any wrestlers listed among the elite in The Record's Honor Roll, which highlights the five best performers in each weight class in North Jersey, some are not far off the pace and are challenging for inclusion.

Catalano is 18-5, Boscorino 18-7, Damato 17-8 and Shetler 17-8.

"We've come together as a unit," Petrock summarized. "And hopefully, we'll be in good shape for the sectionals and the districts."